Electrical connector



1950 R. F. COBAUGH 2,951,228

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed April 11, 1956 2 INVENTOR.

. Robe 1 F Cobaugh n Md-k ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Robert F. Cobaugh, Harrisburg, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated Filed Apr. 11, 1956, Ser. No. 577,594

1 Claim. (Cl. 339-115) This invention is directed to electrical connectors to be cold forged onto a conductor. Particularly, it is directed to such connectors as are crimped on aluminum wires, which connectors contain a material in a fluid phase for increasing the conductivity of the connection, providing a waterproof seal, or for inhibiting corrosion or the formation of aluminum oxide within the crimped connection, henceforth called the inhibitor.

Some connectors of this nature are described in Patent No. 2,815,497, issued December 3, 1957, in the name of Jean I. Redslob, and Patent No. 2,869,103, issued January 13, 1959, in the name of Franklin H. Wells.

The above-identified patent applications describe a connector containing an unctuous material, used as an inhibitor, in the barrel thereof, which functions to effect a more eflicient crimped connection. Prior to crimping these connectors and in order to provide a satisfactory shelf life during storage, the barrel containing the inhibitor must be closed at each end to confine the inhibitor within the barrel prior to the crimping operation.

The present invention provides a novel type of sealing arrangement which closes each end of the barrel, thus maintaining the inhibitor wholly within the conductor crimping barrel prior to the crimping operation. The inhibitor is so confined that .it does not encounter the portion of the barrel used for crimping the connector to the insulation. Furthermore, the sealing means is easily removed and does not disturb the position of the material within the barrel during the removal operation. Also the present invention decreases the amount of inhibitor used in the connector. Furthermore, a novel means is provided for retaining the inhibitor within the barrel prior to crimping and yet permitting inspection of the crimped connection after the crimp is made.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the con ditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a perspective View of a crimped connection embodying principles of this invention;

Figure 2 shows an exploded view of a connector of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a sectional view through the assembled parts shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 shows a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line IVIV of Figure 1.

The connector is generally indicated by the letter C.

Zfihii Patented Aug. 30, 1960 The particular connector shown has a ring tongue portion 10, a conductor crimping barrel 12, and an insulation crimping barrel 14. As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the particular embodiment is made in three sections. One section contains the ring tongue 10 and the conductor crimping barrel 12. The second section contains the insulation crimping barrel 14 and has a cylinder 16 at one end containing the inhibitor (see Figure 2). The sealing means 18 fits into one end of the insulation receiving barrel 14 when the connector is assembled. The closed end of the cylinder 16 has an annulus 20 containing a sealing means 22 which will be described later. By making the connector in two sections, as shown, it is easy to make the section 14 which extends over the insulation thinner than the section 12 which is crimped to the conductor. This effects a substantial saving of material and in addition permits the section 14 to be folded inwardly when crimped to the insulation, see Figure 1, thus effecting a tighter seal to retain the material within the container 16 and render the seal substantially waterproof.

As shown in the drawings, a cylinder 16 is fitted within the conductor crimping barrel '12 and held in position by a friction or interference fit. In this position the clo sure 19 of the cylinder 16 protrudes forwardly of the conductor crimping barrel. The insulation crimping barrel 14 extends rearwardly of the conductor crimping barrel 12. The preferred means for sealing the insulation crimping barrel constitutes a semi-spherical cap 18 which, is preferably made of polyethylene. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the shape of this sealing means 18 is so dimensioned as to seal off the main portion of the insulation sealing barrel 14. Thus, the sealing means 18 restricts the inhibitor 24 in such a manner that the inhibitor remains completely within the conductor crimping barrel 16 and does not enter the insulation crimping barrel 14. This performs a two-fold effect. First, it permits the use of a smaller amount of inhibitor, since it is only necessary to provide enough material to fill the container 16 and not the container 14. Also it prevents the material from entering the insulation crimping barrel, thus keeping the insulation relatively free of the inhibitor prior to crimping. A tab 26 extends outwardly from the sealing means '18 to provide a means for grasping the sealing means in order to remove it prior to making the crimped connection.

In the annulus 20 of the cylinder 16 a sealing means in the form of a closure 22 is provided. This closure is shaped like a collar button and is preferably made out of nylon or some other plastic material. The closure is made in two sections, one an expandable member 29 which is slotted as at 31 to permit compression and the other a head member 30. The member 29 is compressed and inserted into the annulus 20, then allowed to re-expand, so that the closure 22 is held in place. The head '30 prevents the closure from being inserted all the way into the container 16. This button 22 also performs a dual function. First it holds the material 24 within the container prior to the crimping operation. As shown in Figure 1, after the crimp is made, the button 22 may be withdrawn and the conductor C viewed from the outside of the connection. An inspector can visually or by probing determine the proper positioning of the conductor in crimping relationship to the connector so that an eificient crimp is performed.

Operation 'When it is desired to crimp a connector to a conductor the sealing means 18 is removed by grasping tab 26 with a pair of pliers (or other suitable tool) and exerting an outward pressure. The shape of means 1 8 is such that when tilted a little air can get into cylinder 16; thus means 3 18 may easily be removed Without pulling the inhibitor out of the cylinder. When the sealing means is removed, the bare end of the conductor is inserted into the connector so that it is positioned within the barrel 12. The

insulation on the conductor is Within the barrel 14. Crimping dies are brought to bear on the barrels 12 and 14, deforming these barrels onto the. conductor and insulation, respectively. To inspect the crimped connection, button 22 is removed from closure 19. A visual or probing inspection of the bare end of the conductor will indicate whether or not the connector has been properly crimped onto the conductor.

Changes in construction will occur to those in the art and various apparently different modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claim when viewed in its proper perspective against the prior art.

I claim:

An electrical connector for terminating a wire conductor comprising a tubular structure of crimpable metal defining ferrule means for receiving through one end thereof an end portion of said conductor, a section of the length of said ferrule means adapted to be compressed onto said conductor end portion to provide a solderless cold-forged connection therebetween, radially extending metal portions adjacent said section for closing the end of said ferrule means remote from the conductor insertion end but for an inspection aperture of small diameter relative to said ferrule means, said aper ture providing for external access to within said section to inspect the limit of conductor insertion within said section, a removable closure plug in said aperture, an unctuous material in said ferrule means section for fluidproof sealing the conductor and ferrule means interfaces upon crimping the connector, a retaining plug removably fitted in and sealing the conductor insertion end of said ferrule means for protecting said unctuous material prior to connector crimping, and connecting means extending at said closed end away from said tubular structure for coupling said ferrule means and the conductor upon connection to external circuitry.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 513,949 Munson J an. 30, 1894 914,038 Gugler Mar. 2, 1909 2,020,819 Bell Nov. 12, 1935 2,405,111 Carlson et al Aug. 6, 1946 2,423,290 Bonwitt July 1, 1947 2,533,200 Rogoff Dec. 5, 1950 2,674,647 Dibner Apr. 6, 1954 2,815,497 Redslob Dec. 3, 1957 

